Staging

Criteria for TNM Clinical Staging:

Physical examination; palpation of breast, axillary, supraclavicular and cervical nodes; pathologic examination of breast or other tissue to establish a diagnosis of cancer, including size of tumor, chest wall invasion, and presence or absence of positive nodes and distant metastases.

Criteria for TNM Pathologic Staging:

Removal of all primary tumor (no tumor at any margin of resection on gross examination) and at least Level I nodes (lateral to lateral border of pectoralis minor—at least 6 nodes in this area).